


Unguarded

by Avia_Isadora



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-04
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:34:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29840214
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avia_Isadora/pseuds/Avia_Isadora
Summary: Cam's the new guy on the team.  He had no idea until he caught an unguarded moment.Set after 9.16 "Off the Grid."
Relationships: Samantha "Sam" Carter/Jack O'Neill
Comments: 9
Kudos: 81





	Unguarded

Cam was pretty sure he had the best job in the world. Not that Dr. Lam agreed. In fact, she'd seemed downright cranky about the way SG-1 had come home from two days captured by some thugs with psychedelic corn for sale. Of course it hadn't been as simple as the cornbread that keeps you tripping. There had been the Lucian Alliance and Baal and a whole bunch of other things in the mix. But all was well that ended well. 

He felt kind of bad about Daniel's cracked rib, but that happens sometimes when you get roughed up for a couple of days. It could have been a lot worse.

Ok, it could have been a whole lot worse. And maybe that was what Dr. Lam wanted him to think about, leaving him lying on a bed behind the drawn curtains in the corner of the infirmary while she "checked some things" and "ran some tests just as a precaution." He was fine. And so was everybody else, barring Daniel's rib.

Maybe, just maybe he was still kind of tripping on adrenaline himself. Or maybe he'd smelled too much corn. Cam lay back and put his hands behind his head.

There were footsteps and a long, tired sigh on the other side of the curtain. The lights were on out there, and it was dark back here, so he could see through the curtain easily enough. Carter sat down on the side of the bed. Her hair was wet and she was wearing a clean uniform. With one hand she pushed her bangs back from her face, tilted her head up with an expression immeasurably weary. 

One of those moments, Cam thought. Everybody has those moments nobody ought to see. The ones when it hits you. Everything that didn't happen this time. Everything that ever did before. They don't officially exist. And Carter wouldn't appreciate him seeing it. 

Her mouth opened, and he could see her chest moving, but she didn't make a sound.

There were other footsteps and she jerked around, but Cam saw her relax as she saw who it was. 

"Carter?" General O'Neill's voice.

"Yeah." Not yes, sir. Not even yes. "How's Daniel?"

"Giving Dr. Lam hell. But he'll be fine. One cracked rib. For Daniel that doesn't even count." O'Neill came over and sat down on the bed beside her. "You ok?"

"Fine." 

Cam could see the four inches of light between their silhouettes, saw it close as Sam leaned on him sideways, her head on his shoulder. His arm went around her back. And they just sat there completely silently in the darkened infirmary.

Ok, now he really couldn't move. He wasn't supposed to see this. He wasn't supposed to know this. This was off the books, off the charts. A kiss, a pinch, a poke, an appreciative glance -- those things happened, and mature adults ignored them. They didn’t really cross lines, didn't really change things. Not like this. How long? Years? How long did it take to show someone else one of those moments, to receive that? 

"Come on, Carter," O'Neill said. "A good meal, a good night's sleep."

"Yeah," she said again, and Cam saw his arm tighten around her shoulder. "I'm not even sure what time it is. I lost track."

"Nearly midnight," O'Neill said. "But we'll find something open."

"Not Taco Bell," Carter said, sliding off the side of the bed onto her feet. "I've spent about ten million years in that Taco Bell."

"Fair enough." He didn't touch her. Just waited for her to precede him out the door, her face as straight as ever. 

When their footsteps faded away, Cam shifted, making a pillow of his arm behind his head. He'd never let on that he saw that, but somehow he'd have to let Sam know it was ok. That she didn't have to hide it from him, because that was the disruptive thing. He'd bet any money that Daniel and Teal'c had known forever. He was the fly in the ointment, the damned thing shaking up team cohesion, everyone having to keep their mouths shut about something they all knew, someone no one was sure of yet. He'd have to figure out how to let her know he wasn't going to make trouble. The new guy could be trusted. Even with the unguarded moment.


End file.
